St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-10-19
LYNCH LAW.
1t is Brought Into Use to Clear Out
Hard Gang.

Hard Gang.
CHARLESTON. W. Va, Oct. 1S.-Since
the murder of Rev. Thomas P. Ryan,
near Spencer, Roane county, this state,
it has been learned that an organized
band of regulators of over 1000 persons,
farmers and others, of Jackson, Roane,
Kanawha, Clay and Gilmer counties has
existed for over six months. The Or
ganization was formed for the purpose
OF self protection against the organized
band of robbers and murderers who have
run riot in certain localities of Jackson,
ROane and Kanawha counties, in which
stores have been robbed and inOffensive
people made to suffer. 1t was about II
O'Clock Thursday night last wheen the
door of Rev. Ryan'S mountain home was
crushed in after a shot having been
fired through the front door. Ryan i'm
| mediately sprang from his bed, grabbed
his shot gun, cooking both barrels, and
exclaimed, What is wanted?'' The
reply was from an inner door,
mean to have it, A second shot was
fired and Ryan exclaimed ''mother,''
speaking to his wife, Il am killed. [
am shot through the bowels" There
upon the barrel of his shot gun was dis
| charged, taking effect in the side of the
room, supposed to have been caused by
his fall. This caused a halt, and the
wife and soon took Ryan to an up
stairs room, after which the murderers,
five. ransacked the lower part of the
house, getting nothing, overlooking
| some money near at hand.
STRONG CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE
pointed to Charles Coon, George Duff,
Jr., Robert M. Duff and Perry Drake,
for whom warrants were issued. Drake
was quietly arrested at his home. Con-
| stable Gibson and posse of about sixty
went to the residence of George Duff,
ST., in Kaintuck, Jackson county where
George Duff, Jr., and Coon were quar-
tered. They had prepared for an as
sault, expecting troublesome time.
Coon saw the posse moving upon the
present to. leave, as there was
approach of the officers Coon
warned them away and Immediately
| opened fire with a pistol. The fire was
returned by the officers, and for few
| minutes bullets flew thick and fast from
each party. The outlaws too refuge in
| an upstairs room, where Duff was
| brought down by shot from rife
The officers then surrounded the house
and were about to set it on fire when
old man Duff, a respectable farmer,
prevailed upon Coon to surrender,
which he did, as ammunition was about
| exhausted. Robert NJ. Duff was ar
rested the same day-last Friday-at his
house near that of his father, by being
surprised by the officers, he not having
a chance to shoot. Saturday noon the
| prisoners were taken to the scene of
| their crime, Ryan's residence, and
justice set yesterday for their prelim-
frio o1
died at home Sunday night. The rest
| of the prisoners were kept under guard
| until Sunday night, when 800 masked
men took Coon from the officers
| and, with a rope around his
neck, hurried him to convenient tree.
| On his way he prayed and made con-
| fession, which is to be received with
doubt. The substance was that he was
| guilty of participating in the murder;
That Bob and George Duff, Jr., were
along; that George Duff fired the fatal
shot from his (C0on's) revolver. Some
say he implicated Drake; others say he
| did not speak of him. Whatever the
! confession was, he was immediately
hung,
DYING GAME.
After the hanging of Coon the regu-
lators went after Bob Duff. and hurri-
edly took him toward the scene of Coon's
execution. 1t is both alleged and de-
MED that he confessed. Shots were
fired at the mob either by guards or
friends of Duff. The mob scattered
instantly. In the early morning, Thurs
day, the body of Bob Duff was found in
the public road with his throat cut en-
tirely across and frightful stabS in his
chest, almost in sight of the body of
Coon, which was still hang
ing to the tree. Neither was
touched until late Sunday evening, when
coroner's jury assembled and adj
journed without discovering anything.
Coon, who had no friends near, was
buried by farmer. Relatives of Duff
them near his home yesterday. Drake
| was spared, and yesterday taken to the
Ryan residence for examination. A
| large crowd of armed men was preseut
determined upon lynching him. He
waived examination and was Or
dered to the Jail in Charles
ton for safe keeping. After much
trouble and danger he reached here to-
night under the guard of Capt. Burnett,
| of the Eureka Detective agency, and
| strong posse. No warrants have been
issued for Dan Cunningham, who, it
| is alleged, was one of the gang of MUIR
| derers. AS the investigation of the af-
| fair progresses, interesting results are
| certain. Officers are after others who
| are said to be members of the outlaws
band. Coon came from Tyler, Tex. and
| called himself Jesse James. Great
trouble is expected, as the affair has
| grown into vendetta and rival factions
| are after each other.